The present invention is directed generally to non-bag carriers for sporting goods that include elongated shafts, and more particularly to non-bag carriers of golf clubs.
Traditionally, golfers have golfed on full courses that generally require a large variety of different clubs. Each club is used to hit a golf ball a different distance. Generally, these clubs were carried in a golf bag adapted to be slung over the shoulder. Golf bags are usually heavy, cumbersome, and expensive because of the amount and kinds of material required in their fabrication. Sometimes a caddy can be hired to carry the club bag, but are often unavailable or expensive.
Many golfers, because of physical considerations such as age, or time constraints prefer short courses. These courses require less time, less walking and do not require the same number of clubs as a full course. Even less walking is required at a golf range, where often golfers desire to merely hone their skills on just a few clubs at a time. Under any of these circumstances, the conventional golf bag is considered by many an undo encumbrance and burden. As a result several alternatives to the traditional golf bag have been developed.
Several general styles of non-bag carriers are known that are suitable for carrying a modest collection of golf clubs. One style generally has a frame with plurality of legs at a fixed spacing from each other, which enables the carrier to stand freely on the ground similar to a table. Examples of such carriers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,865 Such carriers are often awkward to carry. Another style of non-bag carrier generally employs a frame with a plurality of legs that are movable with respect to each other from a spread position to a more compact position. Examples of such carriers are disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 5,226,666; and 2,987,109. Another style of non-bag golf club carriers includes a frame that has one or more pointed barbs at the bottom which stick into the ground to hold the carrier upright. Examples of such carriers are disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 3,215,181; 3,058,504; and 2,737,990. Most of the forgoing carriers are suitable for the intended purpose, are light weight, and hold an adequate number of clubs, without necessarily being suitable for carrying a whole set, which would usually be found in a full sized bag.
All of the forgoing non-bag carriers have the common disadvantage of including a frame of substantially fixed dimension. As a result, the forgoing non-bag carriers tend to take up a lot of space even when not in use. It is therefore a primary aim of the present invention to provide a non-bag carrier for golf clubs that can be quickly broken down without the aid of any tools to occupy a very small volume, yet can be quickly and easily reassembled for use, again without any need for any tools. Another aim of the present invention is a structure that can be quickly assembled by even low skill level laborers so that the manufacturing cost can be minimized.
A golf club caddy of the present invention generally comprises a pair of standards with a ground-supporting member fixed to a lower end of each standard. A plurality of U-shaped engagement members are fixed to first and second opposite faces of each standard to receive the shaft of at least an abbreviated set of clubs. A set of spacing members are positioned between the pair of standards, each spacing member having ends contacting an inner surface of the standards. Releasable coupling members extend into the spacing member ends from each standard. A handle is connected to each releasable coupling member to facilitate manual release of the coupling member so that the standards and spacing members can be quickly disassembled for storage as well as reassembled subsequent to storage.
In a preferred embodiment, each of the coupling members of the present invention includes a proximal wedge member and a distal wedge member. Both wedge members are received into the ends of the spacing members and have an outer surface sized to engage an inner surface of the spacing members. Each coupling member also includes a threaded member fixed to the handle of the releasable coupling member that extends through both wedge members. Each wedge member includes a tapered edge, with the tapered edges of the two wedge members of each coupling member being slidably engaged with each other. The proximal wedge is preferably slidably arranged with respect to the threaded member while the distal wedge member is engaged by the threaded member so that rotation of the handle member causes displacement of the distal wedge member with respect to the spacing member.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the pair of standards is formed by a tubular member including a block positioned in the lower end of the tubular member. Each block includes a side face spaced from an interior surface of the tubular member forming the standard. Each ground supporting member comprises an elongated stake having a sharpened lower end for penetrating the ground and an upper end having a threaded portion engaged in the block. Preferably, the upper end of each stake includes a smooth face adapting the elongated stake to be slidably received between the side face of the block and the interior surface of the tubular member prior to engagement by rotation of the stake relative to the standard.
An interesting feature of a golf club caddy of the present invention is the use of U-shaped engagement members that comprises a flexible gripping member formed of adhered reclaimed rubber having one side bonded to the standard, the gripping member including an inverted keyhole shaped slot with a tapered opening portion to the slot. The use of such reclaimed rubber engagement members is not only resource friendly, but had the advantage of being able to firmly grip the club shaft without any danger of damaging the club shaft.
Another interesting feature of a golf club caddy of the present invention is the incorporation of a grip portion centrally located between the ends of one of the spacing members for providing a comfortable and balanced grip for carrying the caddy. Another of the spacing members can have a ball and tee pouch slidably received thereon to provide suitable storage for related equipment. Other additions can be conveniently suspended from any of spacing members as desired, and easily removed or omitted from any subsequent re-assembly of the caddy. This feature has the advantage of allowing the user to configure the assembled caddy to fit the particular needs of the individual golfer.
Still other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following discussion of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying Figures showing the best mode of carrying out the invention.